<p>So I was just accepted into an awesome Masters program at an Ivy League university. I am blown away that I actually got in but now I have run into the problem that I am sure every grad student faces, funding. I purposefully applied only to funded programs so I was a little upset when I read in my acceptance letter that they could not provide me with funding and suggested that my impeccable academic record could garner me some outside fellowships. I really want to go to this top program but I just don't think I could afford two years for my masters. How do I go about soliciting the school and my department for an assistantship? Do I just outright say that I would love to attend but can't due to the lack of funding and stipend? I know graduate school is all about soliciting people for grant money but am I jumping on it too quickly? Does anyone have any advice that worked for them in securing a fellowship or an assistantship? </p>
<p>Anyone grad school worth your time will fund you. otherwise they just want you money. </p>
<p>To the best of my knowledge, many masters programs are not funded (at least in the Social Sciences), but PhD programs are. Sometimes the funding comes through teaching, sometimes through research, and sometimes just outright full funding 'cos they want you. </p>
<p>This was advertised as funded and is a great program. I knew from the beginning that masters in humanities are rarely funded and generally are just scams to get money from rich kids. This tho is a feeder program into top PhD programs which is what I am actually aiming. I don’t really know if I wasn’t offered funding because I wasn’t seen as desirable, they did accept me though, or if they will fund me I just have to push for it. Any advice on getting the funding would be great! I already know what the previous commentors posted. Now I need something that is actually useful for me paying for school. </p>
<p>I would just tell them what you told us here: you would love to attend, but you can’t afford it without funding. Try talking to the program director, professors you were planning on working with, or any other contacts you might have. Don’t demand anything or be needy, but be honest. They may have suggestions of things you can apply for, they may have RA or TA positions that could help, or they may be able to give you a better idea of why they couldn’t provide funding for you (did the funding go to better qualified applicants, did the source of funding disappear, etc).</p>
<p>And in the mean time, look for and apply to outside fellowships. If you can get something, great. If you can’t, then you can’t.</p>
<p>I don’t see any other option. If you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it, so let them know that to see if they know of any options for you. Is there a reason you can’t apply directly to PhD programs? I’m assuming it’s a lack of research experience, since you said your academic record was solid–is there a way you could get similar experience outside of this particular master’s program?</p>
<p>If you need to take some extra time to find the funding through fellowships you can always defer admission for a year. Don’t expect them to change their funding decision but it might give you time to identify resources. Personally, I would recommend that you look for a program that provides funding. If this program offers funding for masters but not to you, then you aren’t one of their top applicants.</p>
<p>I’m really interested to know what MA program in the humanities was advertised as a funded program…just for personal knowledge. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that most MA humanities programs are “scams to get money from rich kids” - a program being a cash cow for the university doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad program or a scam. They’re really expensive, but they also often serve a purpose for the students who attend - helping them get into a good PhD program, for example, or getting them a limited number of jobs within the humanities fields. A program being really expensive and unfunded isn’t mutually exclusive with it being a feeder program into top PhD programs.</p>
<p>What you can do depends on what the letter they sent you means. They already sent you a letter saying that they cannot provide you with funding. But does that mean that they cannot provide you with a fellowship/scholarship (in which case you can pursue research or teaching assistantships with the department) or does that mean that they have NO RAs, TAs, GAs, or other kinds of funding to pursue (in which case you are kind of SOL)?</p>
<p>This is definitely a case in which I would call the departmental secretary and ask about the letter and what that means. I would definitely say that you would love to attend but you cannot afford to without some kind of funding. She’ll either be able to tell you whether their response to you means they have no scholarship money vs. no positions, or she’ll know who CAN tell you and tell you who to contact. At that point, if they tell you you can secure a university TA or RAship to fund yourself, you may have to beat the bushes for some money.</p>
<p>But, it may be that they’ve already placed students with all of the professors in your department and related ones who are looking for TAs or RAs, and they can’t offer you a position. In that case, you can look for outside funding - but I can’t think of too many outside funding sources that fund master’s students in the humanities (and personally I think it’s kind of irresponsible for them to suggest this, knowing full well that there aren’t many of these outside scholarships AND without referring you to any).</p>
<p>Prepare yourself for the very real possibility that you may have to pass on this program and reapply next year, or apply to other more affordable programs. Public universities often offer great options for earning MAs in humanities fields and getting some scholarship in while preparing for a PhD, and can be SO much cheaper for in-state residents than private ones. You don’t have to go to a fancy-pants private university to get into a top-ranked PhD program.</p>
<p>I will love to do this</p>